The Ties That Bind
by nightmares06
Summary: ( Part 13 of Brothers Apart ) A call in the middle of the night summons Sam and Dean back to Sam's old home, Trails West. What is stalking their family in the motel, and what lengths will Dean have to go to in order to stop it?
1. The Call

**A/N:** This is the thirteenth part of the **Brothers Apart** series, if you want to read the rest of the stories, they are found on my page.

 **Season 1:**

 **Part 1: Brothers Apart  
** **Part 2: The Golden Touch  
Part 3: First Interlude  
Part 4: Home  
Part 5: Shadows and Reflections  
Part 6: Second Interlude  
Part 7: Taken**

 **Season 2:**

 **Part 8: The Schism of Fire and Water  
Part 9: Adventures at Bobby's  
Part 10: A Lich of Sense  
Part 11: Calling John Bonham  
Part 12: Like a Moth to Flame  
Part 13: The Ties That Bind  
Part 14: Bittersweet Parting  
Part 15: Birth of a Nightmare**

 **Related short stories: Out of the Frying Pan**

* * *

 **Haven, Kansas**

Their trip was taking much longer than he wanted.

Dawn was breaking over the outside world, dispelling the safe darkness of night and washing away the shadows. Scattered rays of warmth occasionally played across the room as the air conditioner roared to life and disturbed the curtains. Shadows passing by outside blocked those rays from time to time as someone walked by the room, and sent a shudder up Walt Watch's back. Whether humans were close or not, they needed to press on. The situation was too dire to turn back.

Regardless, the older man kept watch on the towering door that provided an entrance into the room. They couldn't afford anyone else getting caught, so the second it swept open they were all prepared to leap to safety.

Help was a phone call away, but only if they could _reach_ the phone.

Worrying his lip, Walt watched with bated breath as the phone was at last wrested free of its cradle by teamwork from Christian and Mikael. Walt may be technically in charge of those that lived at the motel because of his long years of experience there, but that didn't mean they _listened_ to him, and there weren't many that could match Mikael's stubborn nature. Walt was on watch, and that was that.

'Borrowers' or 'littles' or whatever the hell else humans came up with to call them and differentiate them from humans had no direct hierarchy. Each did as they saw fit for survival.

Which was why they were in a motel room, preparing to call one of the largest humans they'd ever seen.

And one of the most dangerous.

Dean Winchester, the elder brother of Sam Winchester, Walt's adopted son, was a _hunter_. Clearly a very capable one, demonstrated by his stubborn survival while he hunted on his own for nigh on ten years before discovering Sam and reuniting with his younger brother.

It was to their luck that the massive man had listened to Sam when he'd discovered him in his room. More than one hunter would have simply considered Sam not human and done away with him, or used him to track down others of his race- despite the fact that Sam was once a human.

They would kill them, and then Sam after the hunter was certain he'd found them _all_.

Instead, the brothers were back together and on the road, hunting. Sam, a four inch hunter paired with Dean, who stood over six feet tall. The most unlikely team, yet a surprisingly effective one with their teamwork in everything they did.

And now they needed to actually call this hunter up and ask for his help, a situation that Walt would never have predicted. He never thought it was possible.

Out of the cradle, the phone fell to the surface of the nightstand with a loud clatter that made Walt flinch and glance at the door, praying no one would come investigate the noise in the 'empty' room. The edge of the phone clipped Christian in the side and sent the shorter man sprawling. Sean buried his face into Walt's side with a shudder.

The former human boy had been through a lot that day and wouldn't leave Walt's side, and Walt wasn't about to make him. If Sean found comfort in his presence, he would keep him close. After Sean had gone through the same curse as Sam, he'd clung to Walt as a father figure, learning everything from him and looking up to the stern older man.

Mikael helped Christian back to his feet. The younger man had a slight limp as he moved out of the way for Walt. Hopefully it wouldn't impede their trip home. They were only as fast as their slowest member, and would never consider leaving him behind.

Sean did his part and propped up the business card so Walt could see it as he worked. The cursed human's large eyes were ready to overflow with tears as he watched Walt step onto the base of the phone. Each button was the size of his hand, and he put more force than was necessary as he dialed, making certain that the number he dialed was, in fact, Dean's.

The last thing any of them needed was _more_ humans involved.

The phone started to ring.

Everyone hushed, staring at the speaker with trepidation as Walt backed off to join Sean. The only person focused elsewhere was Mikael, and that was only because _someone_ needed to keep an eye on the door, and no one was eager to be the person who talked to Dean. Just the thought of his size made them nervous.

The rings cut out and everyone held their breath.

" _Hello?_ "

The gruff voice that rumbled out of the phone was enough to freeze them where they stood. Dean sounded tired and grumpy. The call must have woken him from a deep sleep.

Apprehensive, Walt glanced out the expansive window across the room, staring at the rising sun. He cursed to himself. It was bad enough they had to call the hunter in the first place. Now they were making it worse with bad timing. Humans had such different schedules from Walt's people, it was easy to forget Dean might not be up when they called him in their desperation.

Dean, of course, was oblivious to the subtleties on the other end of the call. He continued on. " _Who is this? How did you get this number?_ "

Little Sean had met the hunter the last time Dean was around, and even started to warm up to him, but the growl that came out of the speaker had the young kid burying his head against Walt all over again. Walt brushed the child's hair for reassurance, mussing it up.

"It's just Dean," he chided lightly, knowing in his heart the truth of that statement as he reminded himself as much as the child. It was just Dean, and Dean would never hurt them. He might be a human, and a dangerous hunter at that, but he was just as much their family as much as Sam was.

With a swallow to steel himself, Walt spoke up at last. It had been so long since he'd talked to Dean. He'd forgotten what it was like. Like a raindrop telling a thundercloud what to do.

"Dean? It's Walt."

Dean's voice cut out mid-complaint, quieting to listen to the soft voice trying to talk over his. Walt was thankful for that. He'd worried that the hunter would drown him out without even noticing his attempt. _That_ would make for an awkward phone call. Trying to shout down a human wouldn't go far considering how much louder his voice was naturally.

" _Walt?_ " The word was noticeably warmer than the complaints from before as the lazy drawl curled around it. " _I'd say it's good to hear from ya, but I have a feeling it's really not._ "

Walt nodded as everyone around him visibly relaxed. "You're right about that." Now that the hunter knew who was calling and wasn't barking every word, it was easier to remember how the man had treated them while he was last at the motel, months ago.

Treating Kara and Sean as little siblings of his own. Letting the small family take over his laptop or the TV to watch movies _of their own choosing._ Graciously letting Walt stay for pizza, an unheard of treat before then, after the smaller man had tracked Kara down to the motel room to fetch her back home.

Going so far as to back off and let Sam recover from his trauma on his own time. Not once had Dean pressured Sam to come out from the walls before he was ready, and it was almost an entire month before Sam had even gone to _see_ Dean. Walt remembered how lonely the man had looked the time he'd glanced into the room, and had watched how Dean would look forlornly towards the vents in the wall and down at the floor under his boots.

There was a reason Walt had dedicated so much time to making a leather anti-possession ring for the hunter. A human that treated them as his equals was a rare human indeed, and not one to be taken for granted.

" _H'ng on._ " Dean's voice was still gruff from sleep, but it was growing in strength as they talked. " _Lemme get Sam up for this. He's gonna want to hear it._ "

A _click!_ sounded over the line as Dean likely placed the phone down. Walt took that moment to remind himself that the phone Dean was handling like it was nothing was likely heavier than any of them. Bigger, too. It was wise to remember respect for the human's strength, no matter how kind he was.

A more-distant " _Sam?_ " sounded out of the speaker as Dean set to his task of waking his little brother.

Walt tried to imagine things from Sam's point of view. It was likely Dean would nudge him awake with one of his Sam-sized fingers. It was amazing what the boy had grown used to in his time away from them.

They couldn't completely make out Sam's mumbled reply to his older brother. Dean responded. " _Walt's on the line._ " Another pause. " _What other Walt do we know? Him? Like_ hell _I'd give him my number._ "

The banter continued for a moment as Sam woke up until a sharp retort from Dean cut it off. " _No, the phone is_ not _going on the shelf with you. I'm not sticking my head under the nightstand for an entire phone call. Now c'mon._ "

The longest pause yet came, and then a much softer companion to Dean's rumble spoke up. " _Walt? Is it really you?_ "

Despite the dire circumstances, a rare smile crossed Walt's face. It was _good_ to hear Sam's voice. He may have accepted his adopted son's reasons for leaving, but that didn't mean they didn't miss him, every damn day.

And Sam _was_ easier to talk to, compared to his older brother.

"Hey, Sam," Walt replied, his voice somber. "I wish this call was under better circumstances. We need your help."

There it was. They had just asked a _human_ for help. Walt didn't bother deceiving himself. Sam might be doing the talking for the brothers, but without Dean's help and support, he would have no way to help on his own. The distance between them alone would be insurmountable without Dean's massive, rumbling car they called the _Impala_.

" _Go on_."

Walt took a deep breath to steel himself. For support, he rested an arm on Sean's shoulder. The others were as still as statues, listening to every word.

"A few hours ago, Krissy and Bree were out getting supplies. They were taking advantage of a quiet night to show Sean and Kara some pointers."

The two young women were best friends from childhood. They'd grown up together until the fateful day Bree was stolen from her family by the greed of humans. Without Dean and Sam, she'd still be gone, a captive and 'pet' of a girl named Beth, who Bree _said_ was nicer than she sounded, but every time her name came up, Walt would scowl at the thought of his daughter being dressed up by a human girl and placed in a dollhouse to live, like a toy. Ever since reuniting, Bree and Krissy were hard to separate.

Most days.

Walt forced himself to go on, his hand tightening on Sean's shoulder. "Someone came into that room while they were there. The girls hid, but he knew where to look. He _found them._ " Walt squeezed his eyes shut. The phone was as silent as the grave as Sam and Dean digested the revelation.

The next time Walt went on, his voice wavered. "Sean and Krissy got away, but… Bree and Kara got caught. He has them in a cage, left out on its own like he's _luring_ us to it."

It wasn't hard to recognize a trap when he'd gone to rescue his daughter, and that hurt more than anything.

The brothers were silent for a moment, then Dean's voice came, taking the call back over. " _We'll be there in five hours._ Hang on, _and don't let anyone else get caught._ "

Sam's soft voice didn't miss a beat after the rumble of Dean's died off. " _Be careful, dad._ "

* * *

 **SUPERNATURAL**

* * *

The waiting was the hardest part.

Krissy could feel a thrum of nervous energy filling her body. She fidgeted in place while she watched the goings on outside of the vent. There were _humans_ out there.

Sean hunkered down next to her. With Walt out to round up the others, they'd elected that the child would stick with her. Up here, high on the wall in a vent, they were as safe as they could be in a motel, even with a human that knew about them lurking in the area.

The mere _thought_ of that man had them all in a panic. It was the same as finding a notice for pest control to come to the motel sitting on the front desk. He knew they were there and he'd already captured some. It was only luck- and the man's twisted attempt to lure them out- that kept the two girls alive in his cage.

It was only a matter of time.

Dean was their only hope. Without him, Bree and Kara might as well be dead for all the good they'd do trying to rescue them. Any attempt would end with others caught and joining them in that cage. The motel would need to be evacuated for the first time in living memory. Even back when the motel was a quaint bed and breakfast on the side of the road, they'd never had to _leave_.

It had come close, according to Walt, but they'd escaped back then with the help of a friendly human who'd freed Walt and somehow chased off all the other hunters around by convincing them _he'd_ done the job.

Now, years later, they were once more relying on a friendly human.

Sean startled next to her with a light gasp as the door of the motel swung open and a new human in a leather jacket swaggered in, taller than any of the others they'd see so far that day. "It's him-!"

Before he could finish his exclamation and alert anyone to their whereabouts, Krissy's hand clamped over his mouth, and she stared out of the vent with wide eyes. Sean had come with her because he would recognize Dean, and he'd done his job well but now they needed to _stay hidden_.

The vent they were hiding in was perched right behind the front desk of the motel. It gave Krissy and Sean a bird's eye view of Dean as he sauntered casually up to the desk to talk to the receptionist. It was her first time seeing him fully, not just peeking through the slits of a vent.

He was _big_.

Even high up in the vent, they could feel the rumble of his footsteps as the massive man strolled in. That feeling alone was enough to cast Krissy's mind into the past.

She'd _felt_ those footsteps and the unique cadence to them the day she'd taken Sean in. Sam had appeared at her door, as though summoned by magic, bare minutes after the trembles had died off.

Her mind had been in too much of a fright at the thought of a human so close by to piece things together at first. How those footsteps came and went irrevocably when Sam was out of sight. Dean, loyally waiting in the motel room while his little brother brought Sean to a safe home.

She'd told Walt after she'd dragged him out of the wreckage of his home. It had been three days after the attack he'd woken to the news, and he'd taken it in without a word of interruption. He wasn't surprised.

It was after she'd told her tale that she was then treated to the story of how they'd actually found Sam, all those years back. He wasn't just a lost child they'd found in the motel, abandoned the way she'd believed.

He'd once been a _human,_ and though that seemed to be lost to him now, he still had a human brother.

Krissy shivered again in the vent and took her hand from Sean's mouth. "Shh," she cautioned the young boy. "Dean or no Dean, it's not safe here. All we're here to do is make sure he checks into the right room then run ahead to warn the others he's coming. Okay?"

Sean nodded, his eyes bright. He'd spent time with the human before, after Walt had seen Dean and Kara interact and deemed it safe for children to be around the hunter. Despite what had happened earlier that day, he wasn't afraid to see Dean again.

Krissy just couldn't bring herself to officially meet the man. She had a deep seated fear of humans, extending from the time where she'd lost her father and been forced to grow up faster than a child should.

They both watched as the huge human leaned on the front desk. He had a cocky smirk on his face as he shamelessly flirted with the receptionist. It was a biting reminder of how different he really was. People she and Sean had to avoid at any cost, he could talk to like normal. They'd get captured while he was waved off.

The conversation drew out, and Krissy could hear the blush in the woman's voice from where she was hiding. The conversation slowly slipped towards Dean wanting a _specific_ room, one he'd stayed in before.

Krissy's eyes grew ever wider as the woman didn't question it. She went along with Dean completely, glancing down at her computer to check if the room that Krissy's house was built under was empty. It was, naturally. There was a reason Krissy's family had chosen to make their home there, much like Walt and Mallory had found a place to live under an out of the way room that rarely had guests.

While her head was bowed down to stare at the computer screen, there was a stirring in Dean's pocket. An errant fold of fabric shifted and Krissy had to stifle a gasp as a familiar face peeked out of it.

 _Sam!_

Once, Krissy had a crush on Sam, back before his own world crumpled and twisted. He was always kind, and tall, and so handsome. They'd go out to the rooms together to gather supplies many times, and he'd help her support her mother and brother. Ever since losing her loving husband and the father of her children, Brennan, Katrine had lost her touch on the world around her. Krissy was the only person in the family able to gather supplies and food, though after losing Sam and Mallory as well, she'd begun to teach her younger brother Bennett the skills he'd need to survive. Walt had helped, while also taking on Sean as a pupil.

Now, with his older brother serving as a background, Sam looked _tiny._ Curious eyes she remembered as hazel peered around at their surroundings, Sam's hair hung askew from his time hiding in Dean's pocket. Dean didn't flinch at the tiny shifts against his chest, apparently not bothered by his brother letting himself into view.

They were _used to this._

Krissy leaned forward almost unconsciously, taking in the sight of her old best friend.

Almost on cue, Sam's eyes snapped up to the vent, a place he'd spent time in before when checking on the front desk, and locked gazes with her.

Krissy froze in shock. Before she could react any further, the receptionist was moving. Sam dropped out of sight, once more becoming nothing more than a fold against Dean's chest as the humans flirted, then the key for the room above Krissy's home was handed over.

Just like that. It was that easy for Dean, or any random stranger off the street, to gain access to where they lived, yet another reason to hate the motel.

Tensing up, Krissy prepared herself to run. She placed a hand on Sean's shoulder and he understood the signal. They would run quickly and quietly to alert the others of Dean's arrival. Hopefully before the hunter pulled his car around the building and came into the room and startled everyone. All the occupants of that side of the motel were on edge. The world had become more dangerous for them, and there was nothing stopping that other man from breaking in and uprooting their home.

Before she could move a muscle, the gigantic hunter out in the reception hall glanced up at the vent. Those green eyes locked onto Krissy and the blood in her veins turned to ice. Recognition appeared in those eyes as she ducked down, shaking. Walt had once called it a 'phobia,' but it didn't matter what they called it. Krissy was _terrified_ of humans.

 _How?!_ her mind demanded. _How does he know I'm here?!_

There was no time for questions. The human's eyes slid from the vent as though she'd imagined it all, yet still she shook.

He'd _known_ and he'd _seen_ her.

Sean tugged her sleeve, bringing her back to reality. Krissy stared down at him, wide-eyed. He had to drag her down the metallic passageway until her mind caught up and they both ran.

* * *

 **A/N**

Oh my. Here we are again. Brothers Apart.

The muses of BA have decided that now, at the third anniversary, is the time for the thirteenth story to start. Ahead, you're going to find revelations and stress, a deeper look into the truths that make up the entire AUverse and some background on our favorite borrower dad, Walt, who has been once more thrust into a situation he has no control over.

Oh, and if you stick with it, there's going to be more revelations even further out. Hang onto your seats.

No set schedule! Pay attention to the information section of the chapters for the next date a chapter will arrive!

 **Next:** November 4th, 2017


	2. Walker

**A/N:**

Thanks to slcraig01, goldacharmed, stargazer100 and Christine for the great reviews! The boys are back in town!

* * *

The atmosphere in the motel room was tense as the looming door swung open.

Walt kept a hand braced on Sean's shoulder for support. Out of everyone there, he and Krissy had gone through the most. Walt didn't want the child to feel alone after that. They were all there for him, and all ready to watch out for him.

Hidden behind the alarm clock in the room as they were, the human's sweeping gaze merely grazed over their hiding place as he sauntered in. Some of the tension began to clear as they recognized Dean's casual walk, though the sun that lit him from behind hid his features in the blinding glare. They spent their days in darkness. The glare of the sun could blind eyes so adjusted to dark corners, dark rooms, shadowy figures. Dean was little more than a silhouette- a _tall_ one.

The door swung shut behind Dean with a slam that shook the ground as the human fully entered the room. With the light of the sun gone, he was recognizable at last. Walt's shoulders slumped with relief as the familiar green eyes, as intent as always, peered around the room. A spike of dirty blond hair finished off Dean's trademark look, a spike that must be as tall as Sam.

The door was deadbolted against any intrusion the moment it closed. Dean was huge, and he was a hunter, but he was also _family._ He would keep them safe.

 _Sam's family is_ my _family, size be dammed._ The stern assurance echoed in Walt's memory.

Regardless, it was difficult to go against a lifetime of conditioning and instincts and put themselves in easy sight of him, yet that was exactly what they were about to do of their own free will.

Once the ominous sound of the door slamming shut died away, Walt's grip tightened on Sean's shoulder. Together, they stepped into the open. Sean clutched at Walt's pant leg, his innate shy nature coming out at the sight of the human as Dean spotted them. Dean's eyes softened at the sight of his small family as they stepped into view, following Walt's steady lead. Christian and Mikael, fretting about their Kara, and even Krissy.

For the first time, Krissy was willingly in sight of a human. Walt knew what a big step for her that was, even if no one else did.

Before Dean had a chance to stride forward and close the distance to the nightstand, the flap on his chest pocket moved, and then Sam poked his head out. If they didn't know he was there, he would be mistaken for an errant fold in the fabric. Even spotting his head and shoulders peeking over the edge did nothing to ruin that impression.

Sam waved at the others as Dean turned in place and walked over. Neither brother seemed to find it particularly odd to both be doing something completely different, but Walt knew that was just who they were. They worked together seamlessly as a team, no matter how disparate their sizes were.

Better together than apart.

Dean knelt down next to the nightstand. "Hey, guys," he rumbled as he did so, holding a hand up to his pocket.

Out of everyone, only Krissy flinched backwards at Dean's sudden proximity. Her nerves from being close to a _human_ overrode any thought in her mind that told her she was safe around Dean. The others stood their ground, though Sean's fist tightened on Walt's pants.

Walt gave Dean a nod. His respect for the human grew with every interaction they had. Dean, a human, had just dropped everything to come to their aid. They owed him so much, and still he would do more.

"Dean, Sam," Walt greeted evenly. His eyes only widened a little as he saw Sam haul himself onto Dean's palm to be lowered down to the nightstand. No matter how many time he watched them interact, it always caught him off guard to see such trust- in _both_ directions.

The second Sam stepped off Dean's hand, he dragged Walt into an embrace the older man only partly tried to resist, gladdened by his adopted son's return despite the circumstances. "I'm glad you're okay," Sam said as they hugged. He turned to Sean and did the same. "All of you. And we'll get the others back. There's always a way."

Dean nodded along with Sam's confident statements. "That's what we do best."

Walt brushed Sean's messy hair. "I can't tell you much myself, but Sean and Krissy were there with the others when they were taken. Sean saw it all."

Sam spotted Krissy standing near the back, and his eyes went wide. He was most familiar with her ingrained fear of humans. "Krissy…"

The others moved out of the way like a tiny wave as Sam swept her up into his arms. In the motel, during the years after his curse, she had become one of his closest friends. Though they'd never grown close enough for a relationship, with his heart pulling him in a different direction, he would always count her as one of his best friends. It hurt to know that she was afraid of Dean.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked insistently. "Did you see who took them?"

Krissy had to blink her pale green eyes in surprise. The shock of being swept up into Sam's arms, the tall man she'd found herself falling for so long ago, didn't wear off. "I- I don't know," she said breathlessly. "I didn't see much. Sean caught it all."

As though those words were a signal, everyone turned towards the small child. He clung closer to Walt, his cheeks covered with a light blush. Walt put his hand on Sean's back and extricated his pants from Sean's hands. Kneeling down, he gave Sean an understanding look. "Let them know what you saw, and what happened."

Sean blinked rapidly, his breathing quickened. Walt kept his hand against the youth's back as Sean gulped and worked up his courage.

When he started to talk, his voice was light and quiet. Dean had to lean in to listen, his eyes glued to the kid as he tried to keep enough distance between himself and the nightstand to avoid making anyone nervous. They got jumpy enough to have him within arm's reach. Being close enough to feel the steady breeze of his breath kept them twitchy at the reminder.

"I-I didn't see much," Sean said meekly. "It all happened so _fast_..."

"Anything can help," Dean told him gently. The tiny child met his gaze. More than once while they'd stayed at the motel for Sam's arm to heal, Dean had spent time with the kids. From movie nights to pizza parties (which were really just Dean ordering a pizza for himself and letting them share a slice), and even waking up in the middle of the night to discover Kara and Sean sneaking into his room, Dean had been able to earn trust from even the shy child.

Sean's eyes were wide and he nodded back. His Irish heritage gave him no chance to hide the blush that remained bright against his freckled cheeks, but his voice was steadier as he continued. "We were in an empty room, honest! And Bree and Krissy wanted to show us a few new tricks. I've been working _very_ hard on my climbing." His voice was completely serious as he told Dean that. The last time the hunter had been around, Sean had only just learned how to climb.

"I bet you have," Dean replied warmly, coaxing the boy further from his shy nature. "I could never climb like you do."

Sean glowed after the hunter's praise, and his cheeks were almost back to their pale sheen. Living in the walls had taken away most of the color he'd gained outdoors as a human.

"We were on the dresser!" he said. "Bree was letting Kara check out the front and I was making sure our hook wouldn't loosen with Krissy. Then, we heard the door open." Sean shivered at the memory. "It was _fast._ Usually people don't come in _that_ fast! It's like the guy knew we were there."

Dean frowned at that. His concern only grew as he listened to the story. If the guy knew they were there, or was expecting people like Sam's family, that only left a few choices for what he was. And the most likely option wasn't one Dean wanted to hear.

A hunter.

"What did he look like?" Sam asked, taking over for his brother. From the intent look on Dean's face, he'd be more likely to startle them than get an answer.

"Well…" Sean thought carefully. "He was _really_ big. Like Dean!" He held up his hand, waving it in the air at the room's resident hunter. "His skin was dark like the night. He could blend in better than me!"

Dean tried to hide a smirk at that. Sean's Irish heritage made his ability to 'hide' almost nonexistent, and was only aided by his tiny size. Sam's brown hair and pale skin would do a better job than Sean's bright red hair and cheeks so pale they almost glowed.

Coming back to his story, Sean's eyes welled up. "Then… he snatched up Bree and Kara. I got _really_ scared. We were only two feet away! So… I hid."

"You… hid?" Dean asked in surprise. From what Sean was saying, he'd imagined Sean and Krissy away from cover.

"He hid us _both_ ," Krissy interjected, her voice only wavering a little. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Dean, and she flinched back when he looked at her. "I never saw the human. It was like a shadow leaped up and… hid us."

Sam stared, and Dean was rendered speechless while his younger brother talked. "You… hid? Just like that?" His hand unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck, remembering his own mysterious ability to _know_ when he was being watched by a human.

Sean nodded. "I got real scared, so it was the first thing I thought about. Then it just happened."

Walt tightened his hand encouragingly on Sean's shoulder. "Why don't you show them like you showed me?"

"O-okay…" Sean's eyes were nervous as he glance up at Dean. He took a deep breath, and his eyelids fluttered closed.

Sam thought for a moment that nothing was happening, then he realized that the rest of the room had turned into an unformed shadow. Even Dean was out of sight, the familiar silhouette distorted by the effect.

"Whoa," came Dean's voice from beyond the shadow. "You all just vanished. All I can see is some shadows on the nightstand."

The world outside their bubble shifted, and Sam felt a finger poke him in the side. Annoyed, he batted at the shadow, and it retreated into the distance.

"Okay, so." Sam frowned at the darkness that wrapped around them. "We're still here but humans can't see us."

"I can still feel you, which means I can probably grab you," Dean pointed out helpfully from beyond the veil.

Walt patted Sean's shoulder, and Sam realized that he could still see everyone who was inside the barrier just fine. It was only Dean who had become a shadow. _Is it a limit or does he mean to do it that way?_

The barrier dropped away, and Sean's face unscrunched from concentration. Dean resolved out of the shadows, his eyebrows straight up as they appeared in turn.

" _That's_ useful," Dean commented.

* * *

The two hunters were across the room from the others. Walt kept a careful eye on them. They could hear the rumble of Dean's voice, but they couldn't make out exactly what he was saying to Sam.

After Sean's revelation, the brothers were talking over their options. With Dean in the room, this was the safest place in the motel, so Walt, Sean, Krissy and Mikael had chosen to stay. Christian had run back to their home to continue rounding up the others. With a dangerous enemy on the prowl, they didn't want to risk anyone else going off on their own.

It was time for everyone that lived in the motel to bunker down and pray that Dean could figure out what to do.

With Bree and Kara caged, if not dead, they were on a ticking clock. There was only so much time left to the two girls, and Walt could feel every second pass him by in excruciating clarity. He'd only _just_ gotten his baby girl back. He didn't want to lose her again.

The floor shook under them, and Walt glanced up to Dean walking back over. It was strange that from a distance, he looked so normal. Like he could stand side-by-side with the others and joke around. An image ran through Walt's head of Sam leaning on Dean's shoulder, using him as an armrest, looking like two regular guys hanging out. The thought vanished as the floor quaked underfoot, and when Dean got close, he went back to looming overhead. Perhaps one day it would become easier to take him at face value and not feel a chill of fear crawling up their backs, but after the traumatic events from earlier, it would not be _this_ day.

This time, instead of kneeling on the ground, Dean sat down with his legs crossed and bridged his hand to the nightstand for Sam. So far, they hadn't even had a chance to settle into the room. All of their things were in the car, and Sam had a distinct feeling that was the way things would stay until Bree and Kara were back in safe hands. There was no time to rest while those two fragile lives were depending on them.

Sam sighed as he looked at the others. Fear stared back at him, along with anxiety, trepidation and a low-level panic. These people were counting on them.

"Okay," Sam said, breaking the silence. "We have a plan. But first, we need Sean to describe this guy to one of our friends." Sam knelt down as Dean shifted behind him, withdrawing his phone from a pocket. Just as Walt had envisioned it earlier that day, the phone was huge and easily an inch or two longer than Sam's tall height. Dean was dialing up a number even as Sam continued on. "His name's Bobby Singer, and he helped raise me when I was a kid. He can help, just like Dean."

The rumble of Dean's voice interrupted them, and everyone glanced up at the hunter as he said "Bobby? Yeah, remember what I messaged you about? See if you know this guy."

He placed the phone next to Sam on the nightstand and Sam smiled encouragingly. "He'll be able to hear every word you say," Sam promised Sean.

"O-okay," Sean replied tremulously as he met the hunter's warm hazel eyes. "B-Bobby?"

" _That's right. I'm listenin' to everythin' you havta say._ "

Sean took that as his cue and started on the description of the man he'd seen. The tiny child responded to Bobby's probing questions as well as they could expect, and slowly more details were pulled out of the terrifying moments in that room.

Walt glanced over at Sam and caught his eye. "What do you think?" he asked gruffly, keeping his voice soft enough to not carry to the phone speaker- or to Dean. "About Sean's ability, I mean."

Sam frowned. "We think it might be linked to that witch," he admitted. "He got cursed, just like I did, and I've got something similar, only mine is more… low-key than his."

The look on Walt's face was as surprised as it could have been. "You mean _you_ can do something like that?" he blurted in surprise, causing the others to glance over at them. Dean encouraged Sean to continue talking to the phone, ignoring the two in the corner.

Sam shrugged sheepishly, a light blush covering his cheeks. "Well, to be fair, I didn't notice it until I had Dean around, since before that I did my best to _avoid_ humans. But… yeah. If someone's looking at me, I can feel it. If they're dangerous, it burns." He gestured at the back of his neck. "I haven't had the chance to see how it responds to a room full of humans that _know_ I'm there, but it definitely gets stronger the more people that are watching me. With Dean or Bobby," he gestured at the phone sitting a few inches away, "it isn't bad, but there's been a few times where I can just _feel_ how much the people want me. Like when I was kidnapped and found Bree."

Walt took a moment to digest this revelation. Until Sean's shocking move, they hadn't believed anything like that was possible, and now his other adopted son was telling him that he could use another psychic sense, no problem. "You and Sean would make a pretty good team," Walt admitted begrudgingly, not liking the way his thoughts were going. "One to hide and one to know if they're being sought."

Sam nodded and turned his attention back to the phone as the conversation wrapped up. Bobby was practically swearing on his end, and Krissy covered Sean's ears. Mikael gave the phone a disapproving look and looked tempted to jump in, giant hunter on the other end or not.

Dean leaned over in an attempt to placate the other hunter, or at least derail his grousing. "Bobby? Do you know who we're dealin' with here?"

" _Yeah, but you're not gonna like it. He's a hunter. Gordon Walker._ "

Dean's brow furrowed even as the others winced in reaction and instinctively backed away from the phone.

A _hunter_ was after them.

Nothing could be worse. Even pest control could be avoided if they got enough notice, traveling the dangerous world outside to relocate to a new home. But a hunter…

If someone like that got whiff of anything supernatural lurking, they'd track down the small people to kill them. Dean and this Bobby were exceptions. Normal hunters that Walt and the others were warned of, hunters like this Gordon Walker, wouldn't even feel remorse as they snapped the tiny, frail necks of the little guys who called _Trails West_ home.

Dean scanned the others worriedly, then glanced back at the phone. "Gordon Walker? Never heard of him," he said.

" _Most hunters probably wouldn't. He's been quiet for some time. A few years back, he was one of the more active hunters. He'd go for any vampires he could. Was one of the better people for the job, actually. But he's got a blind spot the size of Texas. In his mind, if it's supernatural, it needs to die. Don' matter if it's a harmless white witch or some littles gettin' by. If he's in town, you_ have _to find a way to stop him. There's nothin' else to it._ "

Dean scowled. The thought of anyone going after innocents disgusted him. "Tell me everything you know."

While Bobby started to fill Dean in, even the older information that wouldn't come in so useful, Walt put an arm on Sam's shoulders. "You think he can handle this?"

Sam looked at Walt in surprise, then back at Dean. The intense look in his older brother's eyes was back, completely focused on every word Bobby said. Dean might goof off on occasion, but he knew better than anyone when he needed to get serious.

"We're all in good hands," Sam reassured Walt and the others.

* * *

 **A/N**

Lol forgot to put this in my calendar so I only remembered I needed to get it ready like two hours before.

The plot thickens...

 **Next:** November 16th, 2017


	3. Infiltration

**A/N:**

Thanks to Kajensen07, goldacharmed, stargazer100 and Christine for the great reviews!

* * *

The plan was simple. Dean was going to track down Gordon, and stick by his side. Hunters, no matter their origins, shared a common bond forged in the fire of their job. If Dean could gain the man's trust, or at least convince him to let his guard down, he might be able to follow Gordon back to where the girls were trapped.

To assist in this aim, Bobby had provided a list of Gordon's possible hangouts in the town, and a description of his car along with his license plate number. Dean was going to sweep the town, starting at the most likely and ending back at the motel if worst came to worst.

While Dean was on the hunt for Gordon, Sam had the dangerous job.

Walt and Krissy were going to take him back to the room they'd been attacked in. It was time to get Bree and Kara _out_ of there. Dean was merely the distraction, Sam was on the real mission. If all else failed, Dean could make his move on Gordon the second he saw the girls in their cage, knocking the other hunter unconscious. It would give him away, but if it came down to that, there was no point in continuing the charade.

Sam let out a shaky breath as he watched the tall door of the motel room slam shut behind Dean's looming form. They were on their own. The next time he saw Dean, it would either be in triumph or failure, and there was no way to predict what was going to happen.

They were four inches tall at their highest, and they were going up against a hunter. It was only good fortune that placed another hunter on their side.

Sam turned away from the door. The other three stood up on the nightstand with him. Walt's face was resolved. Sam knew he would do anything, go to any lengths, to save his daughter. There was no price Walt wouldn't pay to see Bree safe, hopefully for good. Sean's was nervous, but there was determination in his eyes. Kara and Bree had become his family, and he wanted to help them out. If helping them out meant returning to that room, he would do it.

Krissy had far less resolve in their mission than Walt, ever-present fear in her eyes. Dean was an intimidating figure all on his own for her to face with her phobia of humans, and now she was going _back_ to the room of an unknown human to save her friends. Despite her fear, no matter how they tried, she wouldn't be talked out of going. Her own stubborn streak appeared the moment Walt suggested it, pale green eyes growing hard.

The group was silent as they climbed down from the nightstand one after the other. Sam's hook was lodged into the top, the sturdiest hook in the motel. Dean had once suggested replacing it now that Sam had access to more supplies than he could ever dream of back when he'd lived at _Trails West,_ but nothing they found could equal the three prongs. It was sturdy, it was versatile, and it was lightweight enough for Sam to haul it around day in and day out, dangling from his satchel. If he was to come up against an enemy one-on-one with nothing more than his hook on hand, he would be a force to be reckoned with. That hook was _nasty_.

Sam was the only one able to wield it so easily. Lightweight to him was hefty to Walt, and tossing it up several feet in the air took _effort_. All in all, the perfect tool for Sam Winchester, a hunter through and through.

Once they were on the floor and Sam had his hook coiled back up, Sean took the lead with Walt close behind. The boy had learned a lot, but having his mentor around kept him focused.

The pathways through the motel were straight at some points, and winding at others. The smaller people, whatever their name may be (borrowers from Dean, littles from Bobby), had lived there since its construction. The _Trails West_ name once belonged to a small bed and breakfast on the side of the road, and that was where Walt had met the love of his life, Mallory. They'd adapted to the new building as it was built up, some of the first pioneers to create a home in its walls.

The darkness was close to absolute in the very bowels of the motel, but Walt's steps were sure. They formed a single file line with him at the front, leading the way while Sean clutched a sleeve. Krissy put a hand on Sean's shoulder and Sam brought up the rear, his own hand on her shoulder. He could feel the way she quivered at his touch, unable to tell if it was caused by him or by what they were about to attempt.

Finally, they were there.

Taking the roundabout path lead them to the other side of the room from the original entrance used by the girls. It would cut down the chances of there being a trap waiting for them, though Sam knew that wasn't absolutely certain. Dean had demonstrated more than once that he was able to find entrances their size. His initial stay at _Trails West_ that day he'd stumbled over Sam, he'd found every last one of the entrances into his own room, but had elected to leave them alone. At the time Dean didn't want to chance Sam never coming back. He was desperate to see his younger brother again.

Sam took the lead now that they were close. He shoved two fingers between the wallpaper, and pushed. This was the kind of entrance that would seal shut behind them once they used it. There was a sticky residue applied to the paper that would keep it from rolling up and giving them away and because of that he needed to put his back into opening it up.

The room loomed overhead as he peered out, and Sam was as cautious as he'd ever been. There was no tell-tale sense of being watched, no sound of massive gusts of wind sucked into huge lungs. A little of the tension leaked out of Sam as he filed away his observations. There was a chance their plan would hold up, and Dean would find Gordon before Gordon found them.

The race was on.

* * *

As it so happened, Dean struck gold on his first stop.

There was a slight curl to his lips as he regarded the red El Camino parked outside the local bar. It was a deceptively idyllic scene. An American flag wafted calmly in the breeze nearby, a show of patriotism as the Fourth of July approached. Leaves rustled, birds chirped at intruders that dared approach close to their nests. All the sounds of nature that Dean had actually grown accustomed to after his stint in the Wellwood.

It was a nice little village. Dean wouldn't mind returning one day to give Sam a chance to get to know people his own size. Chances like that were few and far between for the small hunter.

The sprites didn't even seem to mind Dean's presence. The skittish and wary behavior of Sam's people in the motel was understandable after everything they'd gone through, but he liked how welcome he felt among the sprites, even as some of them watched him curiously. He hoped one day to get that from Sam's family- all of them.

Dean took a moment to consider the fact that inside that bar, just a few dozen feet away, there was a hunter who'd consider _Sam_ beneath them. Someone to be exterminated or hunted.

The cold rage that washed over him would help him keep that laser focus.

His reliable duffel bag, worn and threadbare from long years of use, was left in the car. Dean tucked his colt into his pants for backup, checked the hilt of his silver knife hidden in his jacket, and got out of the car.

He was ready.

* * *

The bar was quiet in the early hours of the evening. A few scattered tables held patrons, from the worn and weary older men that hunched over their drinks like they were birds protecting their young to a baby-faced kid getting carded at the bar, it was a familiar scene for Dean as he swaggered confidently over the threshold. His cocky attitude fit his leather jacket, and his hard green eyes made it easy to blend right in.

Once, a lifetime ago, this would have felt like home. Before that fateful day.

 _Before Sam._

Dean could remember the night before his long haul to _Trails West._ It was crystal clear in his mind and always would be. Taking shots to forget the hole in his chest for a while. Letting his mind cherish the blessedly blank moments that came with drinking.

That one text message from an unknown number with coordinates to Sam's motel had changed everything.

Dean would never regret the path that had brought them back together, but he wondered about the change in himself. How different he was because of one fateful encounter. Was this the way he was meant to be? Or was that hardened, weary hunter from a year ago who he really was?

Now, unease prickled at the back of Dean's neck. Such a familiar place, yet there was danger here. Though it wasn't directed at him in any way, it was threatening the family he'd chosen. Anyone that messed with them would find close to two hundred pounds of weapons and muscle staring them down, and Dean didn't have a problem doing what he had to do to protect them.

One man's eyes tracked Dean as he sauntered up to the counter to order a drink. This was not the kind of place to loiter around in. He needed to fit in.

As Dean waited for his order, he leaned casually against the bar. The man he'd marked as staring at him was now deep in his cups, laughing at a joke from the woman next to him. It was a fake laugh, the kind used when the person listening didn't actually care to hear the words.

Dean thanked the bartender for his whiskey and got a flash of pearly whites as she strode over to the next order.

There it was again. A flash of eyes where he should be blending into the background.

Where normally Dean might down his whiskey in one shot, he forced himself to nurse it, tuning his ears towards that man while staring casually into space. He kept a nonthreatening countenance about him. Low key.

Camouflage.

"So, what are you? Some kind of pest control?"

The woman's voice was deep and throaty as she coaxed the man up from his beer.

The man hefted a sigh. "Suppose so. I'm like a… specialist. I take care of the problems others are too scared to touch. Making sure the _vermin_ don't see the light of day."

Dean frowned to himself as he took another sip of his whiskey, letting the burn sink into his chest. He'd avoid drinking too much, just enough to blend in.

With this case, he'd need his wits about him.

An entire community was relying on him. They were willing to put aside instincts that told them Dean was their biggest threat. Able to sweep them all up in a hand, stuff them into pockets they couldn't escape from, and do whatever he wanted with them. They had come to accept that not only would Dean never do that to them, he'd also stop anyone else that tried. It had taken a lot of hard work for Dean, but it was worth every effort.

Dean listened to the hushed conversation nearby for some time, hoping against hope that Sam and the others would have the time they needed to get everyone out of danger. That alone would buy them all time to decide what needed to be done to protect everyone at the motel, the families that called it home.

His disgust with the nearby conversation grew as well, forced to listen to the man liken Sam's people to 'rodents.' Worse than cockroaches.

"... Greedy, grubby, taking anything that isn't nailed down to build their nests. Anything shiny, like aluminum foil or metal. Keys vanish first, earrings…"

The woman was sufficiently disgusted to hang onto every word, gushing about the service he was doing their town and making Dean scowl into his glass. _Nests_.

 _They're not fucking_ rodents. _They're people._

All too soon, the man was pushing his chair back and excusing himself from the table.

"The job won't wait," was all he gave the woman as he left. She sat there with dewy eyes, and Dean had no doubt that she'd remain there for if he returned.

Dean waited a moment at the bar as the man took his leave, swirling his drink around distractedly. When the door slammed shut behind the dark-skinned stranger, Dean tossed his whiskey down and threw a twenty on the bar with a wink for the cute bartender. "Keep the change," he drawled casually as he left.

The sun was still shining bright in the sky as Dean stepped out of the bar, blinding him. He blinked a few times to try and clear his vision. The sight of the red El Camino still parked in the lot reassured him that he hadn't lost his quarry. He couldn't afford to lose sight of the hunter or his car.

A shadow rammed into Dean with the subtlety of a brick dropping, pinning him against the wall of the bar out of sight of innocent passerby. Dean groaned in pain, using that to cover up the fear and relief sweeping over him that Sam wasn't with him. Sam's pocket was crushed beneath the thickly muscled arm that held Dean pinned to the wall.

"Why the hell you followin' me?" a harsh voice demanded, and Dean's vision started to clear up.

The man matched Bobby and Sean's description to a tee. Combined with the red El Camino in the lot, and Dean knew that Bobby had nailed the hunter that was troubling their family on his first try. Gordon Walker was indeed their mysterious hunter.

Dark eyes met intense green as too-white teeth flashed into existence against a dark background. The pressure against Dean's collarbone increased.

"Why. The hell. Are you following me?" Gordon repeated his demanding question.

Dean wheezed and some of the pressure vanished, just enough to let him speak. "Just… recognized you. Thought you might be workin' the same case as me."

Gordon let go of Dean completely, leaving him to steady himself against the wall with a distrusting eye. He had to hide any sign of his legs threatening to collapse out from under him and show weakness. Surreptitiously, he rubbed his collarbone while they eyed each other up, taking in their perceived threat.

"And how'd you recognize me?" Gordon said, a hint of warning lurking in his voice letting Dean know he was treading on thin ice. "I ain't never seen you in my life."

Dean straightened and pointedly brushed off his jacket. "Bobby Singer," he said simply, spotting the way Gordon's eyes widened in recognition.

 _Got 'em._

Dean was pleased to realize he had an inch of height over the older hunter. A wistful train of thought drifted through his mind, wishing that Sam or Walt could confront their threat on the same scale. Sam would loom over Gordon without even trying, and Walt was at least Dean's equal in height if his offhand calculations were right. They deserved the chance, but they'd never get it.

He would have to serve as their replacement.

"Name's Dean Winchester," Dean introduced himself, just as gruff as Gordon. "Figured I'd check things out here, same as you."

Gordon arched an eyebrow. "John's boy?" he asked dubiously. "Heard of you. Good tracker. Better hunter. You've been making a splash this last year with some of the cases you've taken. And survived."

"I don't like to toot my own horn," Dean drawled, staying in character. In all honestly, he'd rather stay under the radar in the hunting world so long as Sam was by his side, and he'd be dammed if anyone tried to stop Sam from hunting. Yet some cases, like the sprites and Lityerses, were pivotal enough to raise red flags for all other hunters.

"Own your accomplishments," Gordon advised with the air of an elder talking to a rowdy youngster. "But _back off._ This case is mine. I already caught some of the little pests."

Dean didn't have to strain to scowl at Gordon's words, aghast at hearing little Kara and Bree referred to as 'pests.' Dean had saved them both, and Kara had even adopted him and Sam as her big brothers, much like little Vel had in the Wellwood.

"You really think you can handle a case like this?" Dean replied dismissively, forcing down his instinct to punch Gordon. He needed to keep Gordon from stopping Sam's rescue, but he also needed to know where the other hunter's room was. Two birds, one stone if he could get to that room. If anything went wrong for Sam, Dean had to be there. Which meant he needed to goad Gordon into bringing him.

Gordon gave Dean an offended glare. "Like I said," he snipped back. "I've already caught two. I just need to lure out the rest."

"Did you kill them?" Dean asked sharply, his heart cringing from the thought but his voice properly dispassionate, like a hunter on the prowl.

"Hell no," Gordon chuckled. "These little rodents just flock out to the others the moment you put them in a cage. I've learned a few tricks over the years. Any that come to try and save those two will find a trap waiting for them."

Dean scoffed. "I bet the two you caught won't even be there by the time you get back. Good thing I'm here to clean up your mess."

Gordon's eyes turned cold. "Tell you what," he growled. "You can check out my setup, learn a thing or two from the master, then find your own damn case while I get rid of the rodents."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Dean snorted, keeping up the facade while internally he celebrated.

He was in.

* * *

 **A/N**

The process of deciding when the next BA chapter posts:

When oh when is nightmares not busy...

 **Next:** December 2nd, 2017

Leave a review to let me know what you think!


	4. In for an Ounce, In for a Pound

**A/N:**

Thanks to Kajensen07, goldacharmed, Guest and Christine for the great reviews!

* * *

Krissy stayed plastered against the wall, as far back as she could get, while she watched Sam and Walt with wide eyes.

For safety, Sean remained by her side. Now that they were in the hunter's room, Sam and Walt didn't want to put the others at risk. Sean and Krissy waited close to the entrance behind the nightstand while Sam scaled up the bed to survey the area from a high vantage point with Walt as his lookout, stationed below. Sending Sam up first gave him the advantage of his knack helping him know if there were any hidden threats in the room.

Sam _was_ fast. In only moments he was up at the top of the bed they were using to hide. Sean's eyes glowed with amazement the entire time Sam was climbing. It reminded her that after Sam had stayed at the motel last, the first time that Sean met his true rescuers, Sam's arm was broken for almost the entire stay. Sean had no chance to see Sam's _real_ climbing skills. Scaling up a table or a nightstand or a bed like it was as easy as breathing. No one in the motel had skill close to Sam's.

Krissy stroked Sean's short brown hair. "You'll be that fast one day," she murmured to him in an attempt to keep his mind- and hers- off of what they were doing.

Sean stared up at her in breathless shock. "No _way,_ " he whispered. Though he was a human like Sam used to be, like Dean _was,_ a bare year ago, one of the first lessons he'd taken to heart was to stay quiet at all times.

Except when he was hanging with Sam and Dean. Krissy had a shy smile on her face when she recalled the stories he brought home of the movie nights spent in the human hunter's room during those peaceful months of Sam's last visit.

Sam dropping down to the floor caught their attention again, and Krissy and Sean crept forward as one to hear what he was saying. They kept to under the shadows of the looming bed, skirting between the line between the light and the dark for cover.

"They're on the table," Sam was telling Walt as they got close enough to make out his voice.

Sam acknowledged them with a nod as he continued on. "The cage has a lock on the front." His hand fell on the satchel hanging by his side. "If I can get to it, I can pick it."

Walt barely gave Sam a second to breathe after he'd finished talking. This entire situation brought back many memories, Krissy knew. When Bree was first taken, Walt couldn't get the lock off the cage to free her. "A-and Bree? Kara?" Walt demanded. "Are they…" His voice broke.

Sam's eyes softened and he put a hand on the slimmer, shorter man's shoulder. Sam might have lost the height he was supposed to have because of that curse, but he was still one of the tallest people on their scale. Imagining how tall he might be as a human made Krissy shudder, a hand smoothing down the goosebumps that prickled up on her arm.

"They're okay," Sam said in a hush. "They don't look hurt at all. It looks like they fell asleep." He smiled, but it didn't reflect in his eyes. "Looks like Bree's keeping Kara safe."

Walt let out a shuddering breath, his blue eyes glassy. He closed his mouth, clenched his jaw and nodded.

"We're coming too," Krissy interrupted breathlessly.

Sam gave a start. "We'll be fine," he insisted, hazel eyes darting towards the door.

Sean's fist clenched on the hem of Krissy's shirt. "But what if you need to _hide?_ " he protested. "I can _help!_ It's too exposed up on the table… I _want_ to help! It's for Bree and Kara!"

Sam stared intently at the pair, and Krissy almost felt like the cursed human was staring right through them. Her resolve hardened. Her _best friend_ was up there, along with a littler girl who'd become a part of their family.

It was a long moment before Krissy saw Sam's own resolve weaken. "Fine," he agreed reluctantly. "But you _both_ need to stick close to Walt while I get the others out. Deal?"

"Deal!" Sean declared triumphantly, jutting out a tiny hand.

Despite everything, Sam had to grin at Sean's reaction. "You remember that from being human?" he asked. He held out his own hand, enveloping Sean's in an encompassing grasp Krissy could easily imagine would be big enough to hold them all helpless if he was human.

But no. This was _Sam._ She'd grown up with him, known him most of her life. She needed to stop thinking like that.

"Deal," Sam agreed. He took his hand back. "Now, think you can keep up with me?"

Sam and Sean tore across the open room towards the table, leaving Krissy and Walt behind. Walt shrugged helplessly at her. "In for an ounce, in for a pound?" he asked rhetorically before charging after them at his own pace.

Krissy had to push herself to keep up, but she remained abreast of Walt. By the time they caught up to Sean and Sam, they were at the table, the long legs arching overhead and casting the four small members of the rescue party into darkness. Sam had his thick, three-pronged hook out and was showing an impressed Sean how to toss it, though the boy would need far more training before he could throw something so heavy such a distance. If he could even manage such a feat with _Sam's_ hook. More likely, he'd end up with a paperclip of his own for its light weight.

Sam was a natural. The hook sailed up into the air, catching a glint of the waning ray of sunset as it arced over. It thudded against the table and Sam slowly pulled his fishing line until a prong caught in a crack. He tugged it, then made sure it would be able to support his weight before handing it over to Walt.

Walt was first, followed by his young protégé. Sean was the slowest climber in the group, and Sam stared upwards the entire time to make sure he didn't slip. And then it came time for Krissy.

She took the line from Sam with a wan smile. "Good thing I wore pants today," she tried as a flirting joke as she pulled herself up hand over hand. All she got in return for the joke was a roll of Sam's eyes before she climbed too high to see.

Walt grabbed her arm when she got to the top, hauling her over the edge while Sam darted up last. His wiry strength got him there almost before she was on her feet again, and Sean's eyes were wide with amazement all over again. Krissy could see budding hero-worship towards their other resident cursed human, and she could understand why. Sam was the same age as Sean when he'd been cursed, and he'd not only adapted but _thrived,_ one of the fastest and strongest around. Sean had a role model to follow.

Then, Krissy's attention was stolen. She saw the massive metal cage, its thick silver bars too close together for any of them, even Kara at her tiny size, to be able to slip through. The two girls were in the back corner, Kara crawled up onto Bree's lap and her sleeping face covered in dried tears.

Krissy didn't notice the strange texture of the table between them and the entrance. Sam tried to grab her arm, but he was too late.

Her soft-soled shoe hit the ground, and a sticky, viscous liquid adhered to the sole. She squeaked in shock and barely caught herself with her other foot. Sam's heart dropped out when he saw Krissy run and get stuck. The strange surface of the table suddenly made sense to him, realizing what he knew it from.

Sticky glue that was used in 'humane' mouse traps. A way to catch them that would let the human do his own dirty work.

"Sam! I'm stuck!" Krissy wailed, covering her face. Tears streamed down her soft cheeks, making her face glisten.

The sound of her reedy cry woke Bree and Kara in the cage. In seconds, the two girls scrambled to their feet, open-mouthed shock on their faces at the sight of the rescue party come to save them.

And the panic of Krissy's predicament made it so no one heard the rattling of a key in the door, but they all saw the door swing wide…

Panic ruled.

Walt shouted for Sam to get his knife out, shoving Sean behind him. Krissy was as trapped as Bree and Kara, her soft-soled shoes sealed to the sticky glue of the trap. She couldn't even try to turn around to see who was coming in the room without taking the risk of falling onto the glue and getting it on her arms and in her hair.

And Sam…

Sam's eyes widened as the strange human shoved his way into the room. Those dark eyes held only malice and contempt as they fell on him first, then expanding their view to all the small people on the table with him.

A shudder ran up Sam's back, reacting to the danger they were in. This was a human who was nothing like Dean. A man who was everything Walt had ever warned him about. A killer without conscience just because they were a little _different._

Danger followed the man into the room like a dark cloud, and a widening white smile graced that dark face. There was twisted enjoyment there, watching his quarry squirm. Helpless victims guarded by two tiny knives.

The other person that came into the room was only a shadow in Sam's eyes as the man declared "See? Swarming like _flies._ Nothin' to catchin' them if you know what you're doing."

The shadow resolved into Dean, and his eyes locked onto Sam's.

That moment expanded into an eternity as the brothers stared at each other across what seemed like an insurmountable gulf, two totally separate worlds completely at odds with each other. Sam on one side, at the edge of a cliff, and Dean at the bottom, unable to help catch him but forced to watch.

They barely dared breathe.

The moment shattered.

"Sean, stay behind me!" Walt was bellowing, his worn leather boots shifting on the table as he took up an attack stance that Sam knew all too well from hunting rats in the wall. Walt's razor was brandished, the sharp edges glinting in the light.

Gordon Walker, for it could only be him, scowled at that. "Why you little pest…" he spat.

Instead of bracing himself like Walt and preparing to fight, Sam lunged for Krissy at the same second that Gordon lunged for the people on the table.

" _Sam!_ "

Walt's cry and Dean's merged into one, and then Dean was bracing his boots against the ground. He pushed himself into a dive, one hand outstretched for Gordon's in desperation.

Sam's boots hit the sticky residue and he shielded Krissy with his body, his eyes scrunching shut as he folded his arms around her. The last thing he saw as they closed and he braced for impact was a dark hand plunging straight at him before everything, everywhere…

Stopped.

* * *

 **A/N**

Walt learns the darndest phrases.

Anyone used to read Animorphs? This chapter end is made after one of the cliffhangers I remember best from that series!

 **Next:** December 14th, 2017

Leave a review to let me know what you think!


	5. Walt's Knack

**A/N:**

Sorry about the chapter mix up! Fanfiction didn't save the edits I did earlier.

Thanks to Kajensen07, goldacharmed, Anon, devlady, Heroofthe13thDay and Christine for the great reviews!

 _ **Alternate chapter title: Flypaper**_

* * *

Panicked seconds lengthened into lifetimes as Sam waited for the end.

This was it. His life was over. After a year of hunting with Dean, helping people, saving _lives,_ his life would end at the hands of another hunter. With Dean only a breath away, he would die.

Sam could only hope that his brother could save the others. That Dean wouldn't take his death to heart. It wasn't his fault, and it would never be.

It was that witch, and a hunter who refused to see him as more than a pest. Never Dean.

Time stretched on, and Sam slowly began to realize that time wasn't frozen around him, lengthening his last moments. A breath of air passed his lips. Walt and Dean's cry for _Sam!_ died off into silence, and the hunter should have killed him already. Sam should be dead.

Sam opened his eyes, and the scene before him pushed the bounds of reality.

The dark-skinned hand was still there. Still suspended in midair, long fingers clawed in an attempt to grab Krissy and Sam right off the table. Sam blinked, and still the hand didn't move. Close enough to count the ridges in the man's fingerprints.

Beyond the hand, the hunter's face was twisted in a scowl as he tried to jerk into motion again. Nothing moved, and his hand was frozen in the air like it was sealed in concrete. Whatever was happening was keeping him from landing that fatal blow, and holding him in place in a more absolute fashion than the glue that had Sam and Krissy both trapped.

Then Sam's attention was torn from Gordon, and he spotted his brother. His eyes widened. "Dean!"

Whatever had Gordon trapped was affecting Dean just as much.

"Mind giving me a hand here, Sammy?" Dean griped, trying to squirm himself free. He had one hand outstretched, his fingers barely grazing the back of Gordon's wrist in a failed last-second attempt to stop the other hunter in his tracks.

Unlike Gordon, whose boots were planted firmly on the ground, Dean was suspended _in midair_.

Neither boot was touching the ground. He'd propelled himself into a desperate counter-dive to try and save Sam's life, a move that was too late to stop anything.

Beyond perplexed, Sam finally brought himself to look at the others on the table with him, a tough motion with two humans only inches away that looked like flies caught in the biggest strip of flypaper ever. He had no idea how he, a four-inch tall man who was caught fast in a trap, was supposed to get Dean _out,_ but he had to try.

Krissy trembled in his arms, and Sam was forcibly returned from his thoughts to his body. He gently extracted his arms from around her shoulders. "Everyone okay?" he called out, his voice shaking from the adrenaline rush.

"W-what's happening?" Krissy asked tearfully.

"I have no idea," Sam muttered. Angrily, he tried to rip his boots free from the sticky surface of the table, but to no avail. They were stuck fast.

He had to twist in place to see that Bree and Kara were still fine, if shaken, both girls holding onto the bars and staring fearfully out of the cage, and Walt and Sean…

"Walt!"

Walt was frozen in place much like the human hunters. He held one hand out at them, palm flat and fingers outstretched in a clear _Stop!_ motion. Though he was under no outward exertion that Sam could see, his entire body trembled violently, and blood gushed from his nose like a fountain.

His bright blue eyes were glued unblinkingly to Dean and Gordon, and it didn't take Sam long to realize that whatever was happening, Walt was the source.

"Walt!" he shouted again. "Whatever you're doing. You have to let Dean go!"

Gordon was starting to follow along with what they were saying. He still couldn't budge his arm the last few inches to grab Sam, but he could move his mouth, same as Dean.

"Dean?" Gordon repeated with a scowl. His eyes darted to the side where Dean was. "You _know_ this filth?"

"Walt! Let him go!"

"H-how?!" Walt cried out, his voice shaking more than his body trembled. "I d-don't know what I'm d-doing!"

"Just focus!" Sam yelled, a desperate prayer in his mind. They needed Dean free before Walt weakened enough to lose his grip on _both_ hunters. The trembling in his body increased with every second and Sam didn't want to think what kind of strain he might be under. " _Try!_ "

Walt's brow furrowed, and Sam could swear that more blood started to flow from his nose, but then…

With an inarticulate cry, the power holding Dean in place snapped. The momentum from his original dive gone, Dean found himself crashing to the ground in a heap.

The shockwave from all that weight hitting the ground rumbled up through the table they were standing on, and Sam found himself clutching Krissy and praying that they didn't fall together into the glue. The thought of what it would do to their bare skin horrified him, considering how thin their skin was compared to a human's.

Their balance held, if only just barely, and then Dean was scrambling to his feet.

Gordon sneered. "So that's how it is?" he snapped angrily. "You'd pick _filth_ over another hunter? They're parasites, not worth the dirt they live in. Clinging to the outskirts of humanity because they can't live without us. Less than _dirt._ "

"Funny," Dean said. "So far as I've seen, they're all better people than you'll ever be." He grabbed Gordon's arm, twisting it around the other man's back, and quickly did the same with the other so he could lash them together with cord he pulled from his reliable duffel. Dean leaned in close, his mouth a bare inch from Gordon's ear. "The only _dirt_ I see in here is _you._ "

Dean's fist slammed into Gordon's face, tossing the other hunter into unconsciousness and snapping Walt's hold over him. Gordon crumpled bonelessly to the ground, and Walt followed suit, snapping free of his frozen stance. The razor clattered to the tabletop as Sean caught his weight and was pulled down himself.

"Guess you'll just have to be late for your date tonight," Dean said sarcastically to the other hunter's prone form, leaving the others in the room with no clear idea what he was talking about.

Shrugging his duffel from his shoulder, Dean sent Sam and the others a wan smile. "I'll getcha out just as soon as I tie up some loose ends," he promised, digging through the bag until his hands fell on some thin cord. It would be enough to slow Gordon down when he woke up.

Once Dean had everyone free and safe, they would need that time. Every second of it. He had a feeling they weren't going to like their options, but it was important to keep everyone _safe_ , no matter what.

Gordon was dragged from the floor, and tossed onto one of the chairs at the table. Eyeing up the room around them, Dean placed the chair where it was out of reach from anything Gordon could use to free himself. The longer he was stuck, the better off they were.

Before tying him up, Dean went through his pockets. There was a slowly-growing pile of weapons on the bed, including several different sized knives attached to Gordon's body or clothing. Without them, escaping from the cord would be hard to effect on his own. Dean knew that from experience, having been tied up more than once. Having Sam along with him had saved his ass from those crazy cultists with their scarecrow god. Gordon had no such advantage.

After he was disarmed, the other hunter was lashed to the chair. Dean was aware that he was being watched by all the little people in the room, their attitudes a toss up between wary (Walt), trusting (Sam, Kara and Bree), fearful (Krissy) and hopeful (Sean). He didn't want to let any of them down.

Dean gave one last, forceful tug on the bindings to make sure Gordon was bound to his satisfaction, and was pleased to hear the grunt of pain from the other man. Gordon's eyelids didn't flicker, and he slept on.

Finally, Dean could turn his attention to the people he was there to rescue.

He did his best to ignore the flinch of fear he got from Krissy as he turned their way. Sam had explained her phobia, telling Dean what he could without delving into issues that were Krissy's business to tell. It was enough for Dean to know her fear was almost crippling if she spotted him, and so far she'd handled it well.

"Hey guys," Dean said softly. Krissy clutched Sam, which was probably for the best when Dean saw what they were both stuck to. His frown deepened, making her squeak with nerves. The sticky surface was too strong for either of them to be able to escape, and Dean reached a hand forward to pull them off.

That, by itself, was enough to change Krissy's squeak to a shriek of fear. The sight of a massive hand reaching _right for her_ made her forget any promises from Sam or Dean, and bring a tidal surge of her fears and phobias back to the fore. She grabbed Sam in a chokehold, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.

"It's okay," Sam said softly, holding her close to console her. He glanced up at Dean, and made a cutting motion with his hand.

Dean dropped his hand by his side and knelt by the side of the table to wait until they were ready, not hesitating for a second to follow Sam's commands. The sticky glue was in front of the cage, so he needed to free Sam and Krissy first, or risk infringing on their personal space anyway. Walt and Sean were standing to the side, watching Dean's actions without giving away what was on their minds.

Sam pushed Krissy slightly away so he could look into her eyes. "You're safe here," he promised. "Dean needs to get us off this glue, and that's all." He tried moving his boots again, and made no progress. Krissy blinked wet eyes at him, her lip quivering. Sam stroked her hair. It was unfair for them to demand she get over her phobia just like that. He remembered dealing with his own PTSD, taking it at his own pace.

"How about this," Sam offered, meeting Dean's eyes above them while he talked. "Dean can get me unstuck, then I'll help you. He won't have to grab you at all, promise."

"R-really?" Krissy asked, her voice shaky. "You'd both do that… for me?"

Sam nodded. "Of course."

He got a nod from her, then glanced up at Dean as she extricated herself from his arms to signal he was ready. When Dean reached forward this time, Krissy's only reaction was to stiffen in place.

Dean's fingers encircled Sam, surrounding him on all sides. There was a pinch around Sam's waist as Dean carefully tightened his grip, then he started to pull upwards.

For a moment, Sam didn't think it was going to work. Or, if it did, it would only work after Dean had to apply too much pressure.

Then, his feet slid out of his boots, and he found himself dangling in midair with only socks on. Sam gave Dean a flat glare when he saw the hunter snicker at him.

"Dude!" Sam complained, kicking a foot towards the shit-eating grin on Dean's face. It was only a second more he was suspended in midair after that, quickly lowered to Dean's other hand, which was flattened and waiting.

There was something akin to awe on Krissy's face when she saw that casual interaction between them. Sam went from completely at Dean's mercy, trapped in his hand (from her point of view), to kicking and bitching at the much larger hunter, and with no repercussions.

Then, Dean's hand was right next to where Krissy was trapped, hovering in midair, and Sam knelt down to offer her a hand. "Ready?" he asked kindly.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Next:** December 19th, 2017

Leave a review to let me know what you think!


	6. Reunited

**A/N:**

Thanks to Kajensen07, goldacharmed, Annawashere2005, itsmuffintimesir, devlady, ANerdWhoWrites and Christine for the great reviews!

* * *

Staring at the huge hand stretched out next to them, Krissy's mind flashed back to her past. For so many years, she'd had a crush on Sam. He helped her family out so willingly, even after it was just her and her mother and brother. Losing their father had pushed her mother over the edge, and she'd withdrawn into herself. Because of this, it was up to Krissy to provide for her family as the oldest, and without Sam or Walt's help, she didn't think they would have made it.

Now, he was offering salvation of another kind. Her crush was gone, having run its course, but gratitude welled up in her. Even thankfulness towards Dean, for taking this at her pace and not his.

She still couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes, though.

Krissy reached out a hand, and Sam took hold in a firm grip. His other arm went around her back. "All you have to do is slip out of your shoes," he told her, his breath warm against her ear.

She nodded into his shoulder, using him as support to do so.

The second her feet were free, the entire world shifted around them. Krissy squeaked in surprise again, her eyes going wide as she realized Dean had simply lifted them up instead of Sam pulling her up. It made sense; what was a decent exertion for Sam would be almost nothing to Dean, but still it caught her off guard.

Then, her feet hit the table and she was stumbling towards Walt.

Sam gave Krissy a moment to collapse into Walt's arms before following her off Dean's hand and freeing up his older brother to let him free the others. His socked feet shuffled over to his adopted father, and he put a hand on Walt's arm, looking at the dried blood that still coated the man's face. "How are you holding up?" he asked softly.

Walt's bright blue eyes stared back at Sam, hard as ice after what they'd gone through. "Headache like you wouldn't believe, but I think I'm fine," he said gruffly. "Any… any idea what that was?" He was hopeful, pleading for Sam to have an answer.

Sam shook his head slowly. "We thought it was from the curse, the abilities Sean and I have, but now… I'm not so sure."

While they were softly talking amongst themselves, Dean glanced over the cage Bree and Kara were trapped in. The two girls didn't look afraid of him at all, but Dean knew how hard it had to be, looking out at someone big enough to have all the power from behind bars. He needed to get them out as fast as possible.

"Just keep back," he cautioned as he pulled out his lockpicking set and bent forward. Before anything, he moved the sticky tape out of the way. Pausing, he pried Sam's boots off and put them near the other four, but the soft slippers Krissy wore were a lost cause. The sticky glue had claimed them. Anything he could do to take them off, from simply prying them like Sam's to finding some oil, would ruin them more.

Kara was practically bouncing on her feet while Dean worked, and the second the lock snapped open she didn't wait. He only just managed to crack open the door before she was leaping into his hands.

"Dean!" Kara squealed happily as he jerked a hand into her path in surprise, catching her mid-jump. "I _knew_ you'd come and save us!"

Bree followed at a more sedate pace, but she stepped just as willingly as Kara onto Dean's hand. To her and Walt, he was becoming a part of their extended family, just like Sam. A very _large_ part of their extended family, but just as welcome as anyone else. "Thank you," she said, smiling up at him with eyes that were so much like her mother's.

Dean nodded his acceptance, moving his hand over to where Walt and Sam were standing so she could be with her family again. Walt was close to tears as Bree flew into his arms, and then they started to flow as he embraced her, his hands brushing through her hair over and over.

"Baby girl," he sobbed into her shoulder, losing his composure.

"I'm okay Dad," she said, consoling him. "You didn't lose me."

All there was to answer her was his gasped breaths as he tried to bring himself under control. Over a decade ago, this same scenario had played out. That time, they had no one they could call. Bree was taken from him, ripped away from her family and friends as though she'd never existed. Walt had never thought he'd see her again, and now, after having her back and holding her in his arms, he'd almost gone through it all over again.

Sam and Dean pretended to not be watching the reunion happening on the table, not wanting to embarrass Walt for the emotion he was showing. Dean nudged Sam's boots, noting the glue that was stuck to the soles before picking them up. He could clean that off later. He didn't want his brother getting stuck to anything else.

Sam didn't say a word as his boots vanished into Dean's side pocket, only sending a brief glance Dean's way out of curiosity. He doubted that they'd be taking the wall passages back to the room after everything they'd gone through, anyway. They couldn't afford to be too far from Dean with another hunter so near.

Walt was finally able to bring his breathing under control, almost hyperventilating before his shoulders stopped shaking. Sam put a hand on his shoulder, and Kara hugged his leg. His family was in one piece.

"We need to go," Walt said, meeting first Sam's gaze, then tilting his head up to meet Dean's.

The hunter nodded. "There's nothing for us in this room anymore," he said as he held out a hand to offer them a ride.

Walt and Bree didn't hesitate, stepping onto Dean's hand and guiding their young charges up as well. Sean grinned up at Dean, and got a wink in return. Krissy didn't move, and Sam paused.

"He won't trap you," Sam said softly. "He won't even pick you up if you don't want him to. Dean just wants to help."

Krissy took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for what she was about to do. "I can't do it alone," she said, just as quiet back.

Dean didn't lean in to hear, and for that Sam was thankful. His older brother had come a long way since their first encounter.

"I'm with you," Sam promised, holding out his hand.

She took it, and though he had to gently guide her, she stepped onto Dean's hand willingly. The soft ground under her bare feet caught her off guard, and she almost stumbled. Walt and Bree caught her and steadied her.

"Okay," Dean said once he saw they were set, "you only have to be out of sight until we get to the other room. You don't even have to get out of my hand."

He curled his fingers up to offer them another barrier against falling, and lifted up the hand as he stood. His boot scuffed against the ground as he shifted in place, but Krissy was the only one to react to the sound with a muffled shriek. Sam ended up with her held in his arms as he knelt on Dean's palm, keeping her in place with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She might have gone into Dean's hand willingly, but they couldn't risk her bolting if her phobia got the better of her. Even held down by Dean's waist, at pocket-level, they were at least three feet up in the air. A fall like that could kill.

Dean slipped his hand into his pocket, cupped safely around them, but he didn't let them slide off. He merely kept his hand in the pocket so they were blocked from sight as he stepped out into the light. Gordon was left behind to waste, and Dean vindictively hoped that he'd be left there for some time before a helpful maid went into the room. Threatening people who'd never hurt a fly, done nothing but try to survive… that man didn't deserve to call himself a hunter.

With an acute sense of how vulnerable the others were, Dean walked quickly back to his room, long strides clearing the distance in seconds. He wanted to get out of sight as quickly as possible, let them out of his hand so they could recover from the trauma. It couldn't be comfortable, so many people squeezed onto his palm, despite how light they all were to him.

Dean finally arrived at his room, the room above Krissy's small home. He scanned the sidewalk and the parking lot with a paranoid eye, making sure there was no one else around. There was no telling if Gordon had backup.

While he pushed open his door, Dean brushed Sam's shoulder with a thumb, confirming for himself that his little brother was _there,_ in the flesh and safe. Those seconds of seeing Gordon lunge at the table, Dean had really thought it would all be over. Sam, snatched up in an unforgiving fist all because he'd tried to save Krissy. Crushed by a man who hunted innocents.

The dark confines of the room greeted them with a cool rush of air, and Dean let out his breath, belatedly realizing he'd been holding it since they walked out of the other room. He withdrew his hand from his pocket, carefully lowering it down to the nightstand as he himself knelt next to it. They were all so _little,_ clinging to each other for support. Walt had his arms around Bree, Kara and Sean, ignoring the blood that was caked to his face, and Sam was supporting Krissy.

"There," Dean said softly, flattening his hand. "Everyone's safe."

Krissy almost stumbled off with Sam first, and Walt walked the others off at a more sedate pace. Sam wet a scrap of cloth with one of his canteens, offering it to Walt to wipe down his face, which he did gratefully. Dean was impressed with the amount of blood the man had lost from his nosebleed.

"Thank you," Walt said formally. He met Bree's eyes and then looked up at Dean. "You've saved my world twice now."

"Dad!" Bree exclaimed, turning pink. She pushed at his shoulder.

"I couldn'ta done it without you," Dean said honestly. "Wasn't expecting _that_."

"I don't think any of us were," Sam said, speaking up for the first time in the room. "You stopped Gordon in his tracks."

"Do you know wha-" Dean's question was halted in its tracks when Sam gave his head a sharp shake.

 _Not now._

"Right." Dean reoriented his priorities. "We can't stay here. Gordon's going to find a way out. I can't just kill him like I can kill monsters, and for all we know he's got backup. This motel…" His face fell, knowing he was about to ruin the lives of so many people.

"This motel isn't safe for you now."

* * *

 **A/N**

Answers about Walt _will_ be answered... in time...

Just a little further to go...

 **Conclusion:** January 1st, 2018

Leave a review to let me know what you think!


	7. An End to an Era

**A/N:**

Thanks to everyone who read this story and the rest of **Brothers Apart**! And a special shout out to Kajensen07, stargazer100, Ashollow, goldacharmed, Anon, Heroofthe13thDay, Guest, slcraig01, Annawashere2005, itsmuffintimesir, devlady, ANerdWhoWrites and Christine for the great reviews they've left!

* * *

Dean's words fell over them like a hammer striking the ground.

 _The motel isn't safe._

Deep inside, Walt had always known this moment might come. They lived in a place where so many people came in and out on a daily basis, it was impossible to expect their lives to continue on undisrupted forever. Knowing that didn't make hearing those words any easier. Having them said by a _hunter_ was something he'd never expected.

Walt swallowed. "What do you suggest?"

Krissy gasped and even Bree swiveled her head to stare at him in surprise. Not once in their lives had he asked another person for advice, not like this. He was asking a _hunter_ to help decide their fate.

But Walt knew, even as he stared steadily into those huge green eyes that stared back at them, that he was doing the right thing.

Dean frowned slightly in thought, enough to make Krissy flinch. The man didn't notice, his eyes blank for a moment. Then, they turned to Sam. "You think Arthur…?" Dean asked hesitantly, pausing before the full sentence was out.

Sam must have understood what he was asking, because he lit up. "That's _perfect!_ " he said, his eyes bright. "No more relying on humans!"

"Hey! We're not _all_ bad," Dean griped, but this time with a smile showing through his grumpy attitude.

Sam took over the explanation, stepping in front of everyone and turning his back on Dean. All Dean did in response was to settle down, shifting his knees so he had a more comfortable seat and placing a hand next to Sam.

For support, Walt suddenly knew. These brothers would always support each other, no matter what. A gesture that Walt or Krissy would see as threatening became a comfort for Sam.

"There's a safe place for you to go, a state away," Sam said, glowing as he talked. "At our friend Bobby's house, I found a community just like ours, only instead of living inside, like here, they live out in the wild."

The reactions to this news were varied. Walt's eyes only widened, Bree blanched, Krissy stepped back from the group, holding her hands nervously close, and the two kids just seemed eager to hear more.

"In… the wild?" Walt asked, his voice more tentative than ever before.

Sam nodded. "They have an underground burrow. Instead of looking for scraps, they fish for minnows out back, and have a coal pit for cooking. I've seen them gathering herbs and roots for food, and they've got a constant watch to make sure no animals get into the burrow. It's underground, it's safe, and they told me that any we find who are searching for a home, are welcome."

Walt looked over the others, and knew in his heart that they didn't have another way. Not really. If they stayed in the motel, it was only a matter of time now. Dean was offering safe passage to a new home, crossing unimaginable distances for them. A place where they wouldn't have to depend on the leavings of people so much bigger than them. Outdoors, a new world.

Sam gave them an understanding smile. "Any who want to stay indoors are welcome to stay in Bobby's house," he offered. "He's encountered people like us before, and helped them. He even built me a place where I can stay in Dean's room there."

Walt closed his eyes, knowing he was assuming control over everyone's fate with his next words. "We… accept your offer," he said, the words trying to choke up in his throat. "Is there time for us to fetch the others?"

Dean nodded, taking over from Sam smoothly. "Just don't leave the walls," he cautioned. "I can't go with you."

Sam jokingly punched the hand next to him. "Like that ever stopped you," he shot up at Dean with a grin, remembering the times Dean had helped Christian and Mikael search for a new home, breaking into empty rooms and acting as an oversized sentry for the little people. The hand nudged him back, but that was all.

"I… think we'll go now. And hurry," Walt said, taking a step back.

Sam walked forward. "I'll come with you."

* * *

Leaving.

Why, of all things, was that the hardest thing to do?

Walt stood straight, his arms crossed tight over his chest. He stared into the darkness with an unreadable expression.

Two years ago, this was where his home was. Small, cozy, with fabric hangings on the walls made by Mallory's loving touch, it wasn't much to look at, but it was _theirs._ They'd lived there since the motel was built. They'd raised a daughter there, adopted a son.

Lost a daughter, lost a son.

Mallory would never know that they had them back.

Walt couldn't bring his feet to start moving. He was the last. Everyone else was gathered at Krissy's, waiting for him to lead them out of the walls. Dean had explained the way he'd transported Christian, Mikael, Kara and Bree the last time they'd driven in his car. He couldn't afford to have them out in the open. Though his explanation of how fast the car went had lost Walt at points, it boiled down to the fact that if Dean needed to slow down, they could be thrown from the seat. There were… 'seat belts' that the humans could wear. Dean could have one person on his shoulders, maybe two, but the two dozen people he needed to transport- Krissy's family, Walt's family, and the other two families that lived close by- would never fit in his pockets.

Not to mention that most of them wanted nothing to do with the human in the equation. It was hard enough to convince the other families to come with them. Without the threat posed by the hunter, none of them would have even considered it. They all knew that runners had gone out when Bree and Kara were captured, warning everyone in the motel of the danger while Walt and the others called up Dean and Sam, and runners were only sent out in grave emergencies. They were the alert system conceived by Walt and Brennan so, so long ago.

In almost another life.

Walt's solitude was interrupted when he heard a crunching in the dust. He didn't move, and Sam and Bree came up alongside him, flanking their father protectively.

Sam put a hand on Walt's shoulder, staying silent to pay his own respect to the memory of his adopted mother. The image of Mallory's clear blue eyes and her hair whirling over her shoulders brought a bittersweet smile to his face.

Bree wrapped an arm around Walt's waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Just because we're leaving doesn't mean we'll forget," she said softly.

Walt took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and shudderingly. "I know," he said, just as soft. He put an arm over Bree's shoulder to draw her close, then had to wrap his other hand around Sam's back. The boy was _tall._ And strong. Mallory would be so proud of their children.

He found himself blinking back tears, overcome with emotion. "I just hate leaving her like this," he said, choking up.

Sam squeezed his shoulder. "You're not leaving her," he said in a hush. "I promise. She's going to be waiting for you one day."

"Hopefully not _too_ soon," Bree said.

"She wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger for her," Sam said, full of understanding for Walt's reticence. "It's time to find a safe home. For everyone."

The adopted siblings shared a smile behind Walt's back, and then began to guide him back the way they'd come. Ahead, their family was waiting for them, ready to hit the road.

 **FIN**

* * *

 **A/N**

The second to last chapter of Brothers Apart season two has come to an end, but don't fret! The conclusion of the second season will be arriving sooner than you think!

 **Bittersweet Parting** will premier January 31st!

 **NOTE:** There will be a blog/story update hiatus from January 25th to February 3rd! Brothers Apart will be the only story that posts during that time, and all excerpts/asks will be paused for the duration.

If anyone is looking for night or neon during those weeks, we'll be very deeply involved with **Monster Hunter: World** for the duration.

Leave a review to let me know what you think!


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